LJ FB 42, Bishop's 3 - Week #1

Captains from the rival LJ schools watch the coin

flip. Bishop's won, deferred, and La Jolla High

got the ball first. (Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla High quarterback Jackson Stratton had his hand in five touchdowns, and the Vikings rolled to a smashing 42-3 season-opening win over Bishop's Fri., Aug. 20.

Stratton, a senior who is a commit to the University of Washington next year, threw for four TD's and added a rushing touchdown to his arsenal.

A running clock was used in the second half, after Coach Tyler Roach's squad rang up a 35-3 halftime lead. Admission was charged for the first time since the 2019 season two years ago, following a shortened Spring 2021 season under COVID restrictions.

A large crowd on both sides witnessed a reversal of previous Bishop's-La Jolla results. As Stratton picked apart a rebuilding Knight defense, targeting receivers Makai Smith, Mason Powers, and Ryan Weinberg, among others, the Vikings avenged previous defeats on their own field in the crosstown rivalry (Bishop's shares the facilities). Stratton was still leading the offense in the fourth quarter, even with the lopsided score.

Viking QB Jackson Stratton gets

miked up for the game with a mobile

transmitter for KUSI PPR just before

the opening kickoff.

The Vikings' incessant march to the goal line, "El Dorado", went something like this:

Powers took the Stratton pass from the Bishop's 18-yard line for the first score. The kick was blocked.

After the Knights punted--a horrible kick, frankly--La Jolla took over on their own 35, and behind Justin Scully's quick scamper to the LJ 39, 26 yards ahead, the Vikings likewise had to call on Spence Carswell to punt the ball.

The long snap went over Carswell's head. He chased it down, and without hesitating booted it down the 

field. Fortunately for the home team, the ball went end-over-end quite a distance before Bishop's took over again. You couldn't have asked for a better roll.

After 3rd-and-out for the other side, Weinberg captured a nice little drop pass and went in from two yards out. Colin Levinson's run in for the extra points made it 14-0. Now La Jolla could settle into a little roll.

The drive got considerable help from Makai Smith, who ran out to the left for 19 yards on a 1st-and 35. Before that, Stratton--with his long hair looking like a star actor in "Jesus Christ Superstar"--kept the ball and ran 20 yards, starting on the La Jolla 45.

The Vikings' third score came as the first quarter ran out, for a 21-0 lead. Stratton carried. That followed his long connector with receiver Austin Bale on 2nd-and-10. The quick drive began on Makai's reception. Roach went nuts on the sideline over the senior's comportment on that one.

Bishop's QB Will Fierro

had an uphill battle

all night, but he didn't

give up.

Will Fierro's intensive efforts at quarterback on the other side made you feel for him. He was doing what he could to move the ball in the air and on the ground, but the visitors were way out-manned in this contest.

The second quarter was more of the same by La Jolla, who apparently had not forgotten sizeable defeats at the hands of the Knights in recent years. Scully rambled for 16 yards for 28-0. Bale took a TD pass this time from Stratton from 10 yards out. And finally Carswell, who played a receiving and kicking role in a scrimmage against Valhalla the previous week, booted a 37-yard field goal, and the Vikings went out at halftime with an unrelenting 35-3 lead.

Austin Bale added another TD reception, this one covering 23 yards from QB Stratton, in the third quarter and Carswell was perfect on the kick.

The numbers for LJ's offense:

Stratton - 22 for 38 passing, 364 yards total; 4 TD's; long of 72 yards

Scully - 8 carries for 51 yards; 1 TD; long of 20 yards

Stratton - 8 rushes for 15 yards; 1 TD; long of 11 yards

Bale - 1 carry for 1 yard

Powers - 7 catches for 99 yards; 1 TD; long of 32 yards

Weinberg - 4 catches for 97 yards; 1 TD; long of 72 yards

Bale - 5 catches for 95 yards; 2 TD's; long of 43 yards

Smith - 5 catches for 59 yards; long of 18 yards

Carswell - 1 catch for 14 yards